Osceola Burgeoning With New Growth

Construction Near Osceola Regional Is Producing Several New Office Buildings.

March 16, 1996|By Robert Sargent Jr. of The Sentinel Staff

KISSIMMEE — Location, location, location.

Those are the elements that have sparked considerable growth of buildings near Osceola Regional Hospital in past years. Now, along with construction of the hospital's new facility at Oak Street and Central Avenue, several more medical offices are springing up nearby.

Construction is slowly nudging into surrounding developments, pushing out some of the residential areas. But officials think the trend is just what the doctor ordered to help improve the downtown area.

At the root of the new activity is construction of Osceola Regional's $45 million, state-of-the-art hospital that will replace its 23-year-old site next door. The five-story building spans 225,000 square feet and will include 169 beds, intensive and progressive care units and 3,700 square feet for meeting rooms. Officials say the project will be completed by April 1997, and a second phase with a four-story, 50,000-square-foot medical office section is planned.

Long before then, several smaller offices will open nearby.

Central Square, a 14,700-square-foot medical complex on Central Avenue across from the new hospital site, will open in June. Developer Kevin Cole said he and his business partners foresaw the impact of the new hospital and moved quickly to build nearby.

''I saw an opportunity with lots facing the hospital and I took it,'' he said. ''The location was everything.''

Cole, who has developed six buildings along Oak Street in the past eight years, said all types of businesses have blossomed there to keep up with the area's sprawling growth. Medical offices are no different.

Cole, who has developed six buildings along Oak Street in the past eight years, said all types of businesses have blossomed there to keep up with the area's sprawling growth. Medical offices are no different.

''As this area is such a dynamic place of growth, we have to - in all areas of services - provide progressive and competent care for residents moving here,'' he said.

Adding to those services soon will be the Oak Street Medical Office. Construction of the 6,000-square-foot building at Oak Street and Robinson Avenue will begin in April.

Not far down the road, Heritage Place is being built at Oak and Bay streets. The 4,500-square-foot medical office is expected to open in July and a second building facing Royal Street is being reviewed by the city.

All of the new projects on the southeast end of Oak Street fall within a zone closely managed by the city's planning office and Community Redevelopment Agency. A concern is how they - with future projects - will make better use of land in Kissimmee's downtown area and how they will affect neighboring homes and businesses.

''Our hope for this area is to develop with more high-quality, professional offices,'' said planner Mike Steigerwald. ''But we also want to see it done in good taste, keeping in character with the surrounding area.''

The city requires new office buildings in the area to follow detailed architectural codes such as sloped roofs, porches and varying facades to blend in with nearby homes. Also, large trees on each property should be conserved whenever possible.

''We want them to be sensitive to architectural elements that you see in any residential neighborhood,'' Steigerwald said.

As a bargaining chip, the city tries to work closely with developers to help them through site planning. Whenever needed, waivers are offered for everything from construction to landscaping requirements, and fee payments sometimes can be set up.

The requirements have drawn criticism from some developers for being too strict, possibly keeping other businesses from building there. But many say it also sets standards of better-looking buildings.

''You're going to get a nicer type of development,'' said Heritage Place builder Tom Bowser.